Royal Navy Policy Secretariat, Parliamentary Team Leader

Job summary

The Director of Strategy and Policy (DSP) organisation leads the development of Royal Navy (RN) strategy, through a strategic balance of investment process, manages RN engagement with Ministers, the Ministry of Defence, Parliament, the other Front-Line Commands, allied Navies, Other Government Departments, the Maritime Enterprise, academia, think tanks and the general public; developing and coordinating corresponding RN policy. The DSP 2* area employs agile working to deliver business outputs. Navy Command Secretariat forms part of the DSP organisation.

The primary role of the Navy Command Secretariat is to deliver the Department of State function of accountability to Parliament and public, with the overall objective of ensuring appropriate presentation of RN issues to Ministers, senior officials, Parliament and the public in line with constitutional conventions.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week and a minimum of 40% per week office attendance is required.

Job description

The Secretariat ensures that the RN fulfils its obligations to Ministers, Parliament and the public. It is a busy environment where we handle a diverse range of issues with much direction from, and engagement with, senior personnel and Ministers, often working to tight deadlines. We lead on all aspects of Parliamentary Business including drafting and submitting parliamentary questions, ministerial correspondence, provision of briefings and draft speeches for Defence debates and advice for Defence Select Committee and other Parliamentary enquires. We also provide support to Ministers and Directorate of Defence Communications on media lines to take. The Secretariat leads on the provision of advice to Ministers on the size, shape, activity and structure of the RN, including wider reputational matters.

Navy Command Headquarters (NCHQ) in Whale Island, Portsmouth, is the nerve centre of the Naval Service. It supports operations around the globe and provides the ships, people, aircraft and equipment to deliver the UK’s defence policy. NCHQ supports all the Royal Navy’s activities from front-line operations to personnel support and training; finance and governance; safety; equipment acquisition; programmes and planning; and Defence Engagement.

This position provides a great development opportunity working within a busy environment handling multiple subjects, with senior level oversight.

Person specification

• As a Senior Executive Officer, you will deliver effective Policy and Secretariat advice on behalf of Navy Command and produce high-quality products to Ministers, Senior Officials, Parliament, the General Public and Navy Command Business Partners. Strong engagement with subject matter experts is essential to this role and an understanding of Navy Command business would be beneficial.
• Provide sound and timely advice to Ministers private offices, using judgement and networks. Ensure all submissions sent, including Ministerial Submissions, are drafted in accordance with established policy, to deadline and business requirement, and to Ministerial satisfaction determined through feedback with Private Offices.
• Line management of two C2 Parliamentary Officers. Providing guidance and support in regards to their work and the additional team members.
• Pushing complex or high-profile matters up to Assistant Heads of Secretariat for consideration.
• Utilising relationships inside Navy Command & Head Office to build trust in the teams’ capabilities and outputs. Ensuring the policy and secretariat team are visible and valued, and that their judgement is sought as default.
• Working in close co-ordination with Departmental subject matter experts, Media and Communications staff and Defence Press Officers, you will produce briefing material and Lines to Take, ensuring that the key messages and lines are consistent with Departmental Policy and Naval Communication Strategies.
• You will ensure that Navy Command, and the wider MOD, are engaged on the role and value of the Policy Secretariat team by building strong working relationships at all levels.
• This post requires an on-call commitment (around 1 in every 8 weeks) for which an allowance is payable. As a result of this requirement, the post is not suitable for part-time or job share working arrangements.
• We are advocates of a healthy work-life balance and flexible working, ensuring hours worked are not excessive. However, extended hours may be necessary at limited times to meet ministerial/parliamentary deadlines.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

From the very first day you will be supported by your manager and colleagues to understand your role and how it supports the RN. You will be encouraged to develop your existing abilities and learn new skills, and we will invest in your continued professional development as part of our ongoing commitment to developing our employees.

We offer support and development in your career, including apprenticeships, that you can undertake while in your role. Successful candidates can discuss their development options with their manager when in post.

As a member of the MOD Policy profession, you will also have the opportunity to a attend a one-week training programme which will provide you with an understanding of what the profession means in MOD, familiarisation with key areas of the business in which the profession works, an overview of the key skills needed for policy roles in MOD, and the context that we work within.

Benefits we offer

The MOD provides an excellent opportunity to develop skills through personal development and offers flexible working, excellent annual leave and maternity allowances, and a very competitive pension scheme.

In Navy Command we understand the everyday commitments both inside and outside the workplace, so our aim is to provide the flexibility to maintain a great work-life balance. Our headquarters in Portsmouth also offers an impressive range of on-site facilities including a gymnasium, tennis courts and other sporting facilities, a children’s nursery, a café/restaurant, a handy shop and plenty of car parking spaces.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Personal Statement

Please complete a 500 word personal statement for this role. This will be assessed against the Essential Criteria.

CV

• Candidates will be required to complete an online CV template to include job history, details of education and qualifications, and previous experiences and skills. CV’s will be scored.
  
  Essential Criteria:
• Experience of ability to seek and analyse information to inform decisions based on best evidence.
• Experience of developing good working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders/customers at all levels and of building strong personal relationships with colleagues and contacts to deliver shared objectives.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise activities.
• Self-starter. The ability to be independent and drive forward a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Enthusiasm and a commitment to the development of team members.
  
  

Desirable Criteria:

• Previous experience of working with Ministers or in Private Office.
• Experience in preparing and drafting correspondence and/or briefing material and Ministerial submissions.
• Line management of a individuals.
• An understanding of working within a busy Secretariat team.
• Awareness of the current political and strategic context and how this might impact upon the Royal Navy.
  
  

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience. Behaviours should be written in the STAR format.

Behaviours

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and Statement of suitability and the following behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

If a large volume of applications are received, an initial sift may be conducted against personal statement only.

Candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to interview where three behaviours will be assessed in conjunction with two strengths based questions.

• Communicating and influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
  
  

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Helen Goddard
• Email : helen.goddard102@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

Candidate Information 2025 Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)22_0656 NC Applicant guide A4 - Digital Opens in new window (pdf, 2922kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)